Identifying pain in dogs and cats can be difficult as their expression is influenced by their personality. In addition to that, both species are capable of masking or hiding their pain. These aspects of pain expression place emphasis on the importance of being familiar with your pets’ normal behaviors as it is very helpful when performing an assessment.

What Does Pain Look Like?

Pain Awareness - DogAggression

Dogs can exhibit aggression for several reasons; so, associating it to pain can only be done if other sources of aggression-e.g. fear- have been deemed not primary. A direct association between pain and aggressive behavior can be exhibited if the painful area is touched – e.g the doctor palpates the hips and the dog responds by growling. Aside from growling, other signs of discomfort or pain related aggression are excessive lip licking and defensive posturing.

With fear being at the top, pain is the second most common motivation behind feline aggression. Unlike dogs, however, cats will hide their pain response as a protective mechanism. Should they show aggression, it would likely be seen when attempting to handle the cat. Behaviors could include back-and-forth flicking of the tip of the tail, flattened ears, or arched back. The cat could also display avoidant behavior
rather than aggression. Additionally, the response could be exaggerated when the cat is handled if it already has an established association between handling and pain.

General Behavior

Cats in pain are likely to show consistent changes in behavior with regards to their mental state such as their comfort and activity level. Examples of these would be their interaction with their caretaker, how interested in food they are, and how well they preen. A painful cat is unlikely to seek attention, show little interest in food, and may neglect to use the litter box.  Similarly, dogs that are in pain may be reclusive, not interested in eating, and hesitant to go outside. Since your pet is experiencing discomfort, they may be more restless than usual since they cannot get comfortable. Additionally, both cats and dogs may excessively groom, lick, or chew at painful areas.

Pain Awareness - CatVocalization and Posture

When in pain, both cats and dogs can become more vocal. Vocalization can be anything from only crying when the painful area is touched to continuous vocalization that is not usual for the animal. Posture can also change in various ways depending on where the pain is originating and how severe the pain is. Clear signs of pain would be limping, avoiding putting pressure on one side of the body, and arched back. While depressed or rigid body language can indicate pain, they can also be associated with stress or psychological changes.

At Home Pain Assessment Protocols:

 

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